Apparatus for filling cushion casings



June 5, 1928.

C. F. CODA APPARATUS FOR FILLING CUSHION CASINGS Filed Aug. 9, 1923 avwcmtoz:

ad's-M124 0 Patented June 5, 1928.

UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER F. CODA, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO JENKS & MUIR MANU- FACTURING 00., OF DETROIT, IMICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

APPARATUS FOR FILLING CUSHION cas nos.

Application filed August 9, 1923. Serial No. 56,620."

In the manufacture of various kinds of upholstery the cushioning or stufling material, for instance cotton batting, has heretofore been packed in predetermined quantities in cartons'or like containers and such cartons incur expense and waste." Furthermore,.wlien stufiing or filling'cushion casings and more particularly'tufted, rolled, pleated or other shaped containers, the stufl ing or filling material, when in .strip form, hasa tendency to twist when being placed in the casing or container, such twisting action delaying the filling or stuffing operationand in all probability causing one part of the casing or container-to bemore compact than another part. Then again, in handling cotton batting and other strip or sheet cushioning or'filling material, it is somewhat difiicult to evenly place the material'in a cushion casing or container, and with all this in mind, I have devised means which ;will greatly facilitate the placing of cotton batting or a like cushioning filler in a cushion casing or like container. First, I place the cotton batting in strip form and wound or coiled formation." Next, I provide a horizontally disposed reel or revoluble holder on which the coil of batting may be placed so that it may be easily and quickly unwound and portions removed from the outer convolution of the coil. Adjacent the reel or table 'I suspend a feeding device through which a strip of cotton extends and with a cushion casing or container adjacent the reel or table, the feeding device, containingthe strip of cotton batting, can be placed in a cushion easing or container to thread the. cotton batting therein. The end of the cotton batting can be held in the casing or conchanical construct-ion entering into my invention, it is obvious that a method is involved by which cushioning or filling material, in strip form, may be easily and quickly placed in a casing or container, without any danger of the material twisting and with practically no waste.

Myinvention will behereinafter specifically described andthen claimed and reference Wlll now be had to the drawing, where in Figure 1 is a perspective View of a cushion casing or container filling apparatus in ac cordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the feeding device in a cushion casing or container; 7 l

' Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the feeding device;

Fig. 4 is a perspectiveiview of a coil of strip batting or other filling material, and.

. Fig. 5 is aside elevation of a'portion of a reel or horizontal table forming part of th apparatus.

The apparatus includes a horizontally v disposed. reel or revoluble table top, and a feeding device, both being'l'ocated inpro-ximity to a table or work bench l on which is placed the cushion or containers 2that are to be 'filledor stuffed with material. For the purposes of understanding my invention I have shown a cushion having pleats, rolls or tufted portions adapted to be individually filled with cotton bat-ting or a like cushioning material. In order that the cotton batting can be expeditiously handled, in large quantities, the cotton batting is placed in strip form and thestrip Wound to provide a coil 3 having a hollow center or core 4 to receive aspindle or upright 5 carried byia horizontally disposed reel" or table top 6. This large quantity'of cotton batting is in contradistinctionto small quantities usually placedin cartons and it is obvious that I save considerable expense by dispensing ,with such cartons. tainer, the feeding device slipped therefrom The horizontally disposed reel or table top- 6 is supported by a conventional form of antirfrictional ball or roller bearings 7 on the head 8 of a tripod 9 orv other form. of support wh ch will contain the reelor table top at a proper elevation relative to thetable or work bench 1, and adjacent the reel is a feeding device preferably suspended a cable 10 or any suitable s spension means. Thcfeeding dev ce is in the form of a hollow or tubular member 11 tapering inwardly from its inner end to its outer end so that the outer convolution of the coil 3 'maybe easily threaded into the inner end of the feeding member. The outer end of the feeding member 11 has opposed side walls slotted, as at 12 providing clearance for the fingers in gripping the strip of batting in the feeding device.

As shown, the tubular member is of substantially circular contour in cross-section, with cross-section varying as to diameter progressively from the fillingto the d1scharge entrance of the member, the progression being in the direction to decrease the diameter toward such discharge end. The relative dimensions at the opposite ends of the member are such that the filling strip is readily entered at the entrance end while such strip is constricted at the discharge end, the taper of the member which in substantially a straight linehaving the tendency to change the cross-sectional contour of the strip from the comparatively flat form shown in Fig. 4; toa more or less circular form at the discharge end of the member, as shown in Fig. 1. This ,will be understood from the fact that the wall of a cross-section of the member is-curved so that the decreasing dimension of the. member as the strip advances causes the wall to act as a guide to change the cross-sectional strip accordingly.

The advantage of this arrangement will be readily understood. The member is itself introduced into the cushion pocket,and therefore occupies space therein; and since the filling strip is located within the memberand therefore of less cross-sectional dimensions-such strip would not, if retaining the shape of the discharge end of the tube, fill the pocket. By changing the cross-sectional contour of the strip to the more or less circular contour, without changing the thickness released from the member within the pocket, willtend to resume its flattened form, and hence the constricted circular form is changed through the opening out of the strip to the extent permitted by the pocket walls. To obtain this advantage with respect to the action after the member is withdrawn, requires that the strip should be prepared for this action while within the member itself. To attempt to produce this prepared effect at the entrance of the tube would require more orless careful manipulation at the entrance end of the member if the latter be of uniform cross-section; in addition, the resistance to movement of the strip through the member by the friction between strip and member would tend to cause the strip to 'be withdrawn with the member unless materially heavier pressure be employed at the projected end of the filling. By the tapered arrangement of the member, the filling is readily entered and the maximum friction is limited to a relatively small length of the member; in addition. the change in strip configuration takes place within the member so that the change is uniform throughout the strip under the conditions of the relative movement between member and strip.

In practice, the strip of batting is held within the feeding device and the feeding tainer and the apparatus is in condition for I filling the next casing or container. In

some instances it may not be necessary to place the feeding device entirely Within the casing or container. If so, the suspension cable 10 may be loose on the feeding device so as to shift to the outer-end of the feeding device as itvis inserted in a casing or container.f,.Then again, the cable 10 may be of sufiicient length to enter the casing or container, with the feeding device, when entirely placed therein. I

It obvious that when the tubular member 11 is being withdrawn from the casing or pocket, the contact. of walland strip, produces the change in contour of the strip progressively, due to the relative movement of member and strip,so that the "released portion of the charge has the temporarily changed contour characteristic that is set up by such relative movement. Since the change is more or less temporary in characdimensions ofthe str1p itself, the strip, when ter, the release of the charge from the member, permits the material of the charge to' tend to return to the strip form; this can, of course, continue until the wall ofthe casing or pocket sets up the resistance to further change in this direction, the result being that the materialhas become accommodated to the shape of the pocket which receives it. The amount'of change depends of course .on the relative dimensions of the pocket cross-sectional area, and the area of the released charge.

It is thought that the manner. of using the apparatus and the method involvedwill be apparent without further description, and

while'in the drawing there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, I would have it understood that. the structural elements are susceptible 'to such changes as are permissible by the appended claims.

That I claim is 0 I 1 1. A mattress or cushion filler comprising an elongated hollow tube of constant dimensions open at both ends andtapered in a substantially straight line from one end to the other, the larger end readily admitting the filler strip and the smaller end constricting the same.

2. A mattress or cushion filler-comprising an elongated hollow tube of constant dimensions and of substantially circular cross-section and open at both ends, said tube being tapered in a substantially straight line from one end to the other, the larger end readily admitting the filler strip and the smaller end constricting the same.

3. A mattress or cushion filler comprising an'elongated hollow tube of constant dimensions and of substantially circular cross-section and open at both ends, said tube being tapered in a substantially straight line from one end to the other, the larger end readily admitting the filler stripand the smaller end constricting the same, said tube 'being notched at its smaller end to permit grasping of the constricted portion of the tube content while the latter is within the tube.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHRISTOPHER F. CODA. 

